Misery Loves Company
by sugarspice
Summary: Buffy never came back from the dead. Leaving Dawn to fend for herself in the scary world of growing up.
1. Default Chapter

Title: Misery Loves Company  
Rating: pg-13 (for now)  
Summary: Buffy is not brought back from the dead. Leaving Dawn to fend for herself.  
Disclaim: None of these characters are mine. Though I wish Spike and Angel were because if they were they would chained to my bed right now. *Sigh* It's always good to dream.  
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Dawn looked out the car window. Of course she didn't see much. Everything was pretty much a blur outside the windows which were painted black. She looked over at her blonde companion. He was hunched over the seat trying to see the road, even with his vampiric eye sight. She glanced down at the journal in her lap. The road was smooth and her mind was a jumble of thoughts. The perfect conditions to write under. She had burned all her journals after it happened. Ever stupid little detail she wrote in them, the times she wrote about how cute Xander was or how annoying her sister coulg be, it all seemed pointless after. But Spike encouraged her to keep writing. He had said that anything she couldn't tell him, which was very little, she should let out on paper. She reached in her purse for a pen. Finding one she looked at the crisp, clean paper. Spike's smile at her actions did not go unnoticed by her as she began to write.  
  
**********She had said to live, for her. She had whispered those words like that advice would save my life. I wonder if this is what she meant. I truly doubt it. I'm going 90 on a highway with a vampire who had tried to kill her more than once. I am broken beyond repair. I wonder if this is what she meant.   
  
It didn't take long for everything to fall apart. The Scoobies had never looked at me and see Dawn. I was always 'Buffy's Bratty Little Sister.' It was only a matter of time after Buffy jumped off that tower and into that portal to save the world that I would no long be 'Buffy's Little Sister', I was now the Key. The thing that had caused all of this to happen, the thing that Buffy had killed herself for. They blame me, they tell me they don't but I see it in their eyes. But that's actually when that subject is brought up. The rest of the time they just ignore me.   
  
Xander, dear sweet Xander, I know he blames me. He was never good at hiding his emotions. He is now tense around me. No longer joking with me. But he's still cute. See, the old Dawn still exists, she's just taking a hiatus right now. But my childhood crush on him keeps me from hating him too much. Anya looks at me like I might blow her up with my mind. Willow blames me too. But she also pities me. I'm not sure which one is worse. She's diving deeper into magic. She's pushing all of us away, even Tara.   
  
This summer she told us she was thinking about raising Buffy from the dead. We were sitting around a table in the Magic Box. Everyone minus Spike and Giles, who was in England. I lost it. I pushed the books off of the table slamming my hands down. Everyone looked shocked. My eyes were brimmed with tears from the pure fury. I told Willow that if she did it I would kill her myself. No way would I let them rip Buffy from Heaven. They threw some bullshit in my face saying that she might be in some hell dimension. But I knew she was in Heaven with mom. Pretty slayer souls go to Heaven. I wonder destructive Keys go? I think that night they realized how jaded I really am.   
  
After that I called Giles because I know that if they were determined my threat wouldn't mean anything. I told Giles and he said he would come back. And he did. He doesn't blame me. He just hates me because I remind him of Buffy. I had found out that he was planning to kill me if it had come down to me and the world. I also know that he had killed Ben. I confronted him on it on one of our talks. Then I hugged him and told him thank you. If it had come down to me and the world I would of killed myself if Buffy hadn't beaten me to it. His blue eyes filled with tears and then he started crying. I stayed with him and rocked him while he cried for his dead daughter.   
  
I never cry in front of them. They don't deserve my mourning. But I cry, in front of Spike. We both cry holding each other and sobbing and screaming. But he doesn't see Dawn either. He sees his Nibblet or Lil Bit, but I am grateful because that's as close to Dawn that I'll get. Other than Spike, Tara is my only other true friend. I think she actually sees me, Dawn. I thought it was quite funny that there are only three people in the world who see me. One of them died saving the world and the others are outside of my so called family. But that's just my warped since of humor.   
  
I'm driving to LA with Spike right now because it was all I could do to stop him from killing Willow, chip or no chip. It was two nights ago, Willow had tried once again to convince us to let her bring Buffy back. I wouldn't back down, and I had Giles, Spike, and Tara on my side. Tara had long broken up with Willow because she couldn't stand seeing Willow go down the path she was with magic. But Tara still hung around, usually for my sake. There was a huge fight. Spiteful, very spiteful things were said and I had to get away from there. I ran to Spike's crypt that night and just told him to take me away. Anywhere. He was thinking about it himself for a long time, but he had never wanted to leave me alone. But now since I was going with him he had no reason to stay. So we took off. I only said goodbye to Giles and Tara unable to face the rest of the Scooby Gang again. So here I am, listening to 80's music in Spike's black Desoto. Life can be funny like that, if you call this living.*****************  
  
Dawn sat the pen down, seeing that Spike was looking at her curiously through the corner of his eye. She knew she had been writing for a long time and he was probably wondering what she had wrote. "Anything about me pet?" he asked grinning a bit.   
  
"By anything do you mean my sexual fantasies about you?" Dawn asked raising an eyebrow.   
  
"You know me all too well Nibblet." he said smirking.   
  
Dawn rolled her eyes, these were the only times she felt like the old Dawn, when she was bickering playfully with Spike. "Dream on." she said.   
  
"You know you can't resist my dangerous good looks and my witty charm." he said smugly leering at her. She playfully hit him on the arm. That's when she saw it, a sign indicating that they were in LA. Spike noticed her look, "Ready to start our new life or unlife in my case?" he asked.   
  
Dawn thought for a brief moment then smiled, "More than you'll ever know."  
A/N: So what did you think. Good, bad...should I even think about writing the next chapter? I'm sorry I'm a review junkie. 


	2. Confused vampires and hormonal teens

A/N: Hey everyone. Just here to answer some questions and clear up the bit of confusion from the first chapter. I am a very moody fan fiction writer. And right now I'm in my Dawn/Spike phase. Don't ask my why or how, I just am. Hopefully all my faithful fans won't hold that against me. So this is a Dawn/Spike fic. And I know I was a bit harsh on the Scoobies the first chapter, but it will get better. Anyways, that's all I wanted to say. Enjoy chapter two!  
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Dawn looked around the small apartment, a small look of distaste on her face. This definitely wasn't her old house. "Are you sure we couldn't get anything better?" she asked Spike who was busy closing the door.   
  
He growled in annoyance coming up behind her, "Well we aren't exactly rolling in the cash. Unless you wanted me to mug someone." he said smirking at her.   
  
Dawn turned and glared daggers at him before rolling her eyes, "Please, once they found out that you couldn't hurt them they would laugh." she said slightly giggling. Spike frowned for a moment before vamping out. He looked at Dawn who stood unphased by his demonic visage.   
  
"This has to be at least a bit scary, right?" he said a bit sadly because he couldn't even scare the 15 year old girl in front of him. Of course, he never had been successful in scaring her.  
  
***************Flashback************  
Spike was tied up to the chair, he had just gotten this bloody chip in his head and had came here for help. He knew it had been a bad idea. Dawn was watching him curiously from the couch as the scoobies held one of their meetings. "It's not nice to stare pet." Spike ground out not liking the affect the girl's round blue eyes had on him.   
  
"Well your not a very nice person so it doesn't matter." she said in a rebellious 13 year old manner. Spike growled vamping out hoping to scare the girl into leaving him alone. The girl giggled, "Buffy said you can't hurt me. Xander said you were like a big teddy bear with fangs....oh and a bad dye job." she said reciting from memory.   
  
"I'm the Big Bad nibblet, I've almost killed your sister. I'm *Evil*" he said stressing the evil part. Dawn pouted getting up and going towards him in all her girlish innocence.   
  
"You don't have to try and kill her to be evil you know." she whispered to him like it was a bit secret.   
  
"Oh, and how do you do that." he said interested.   
  
Dawn rolled her eyes, "Well sometimes I annoy her just because I feel like it. Oh, and I say that Riley looks like an overgrown caveman. And if I really want to get on her nerves I bring up..Angel." she finished.   
  
Spike laughed at the overgrown caveman part. "You're a regular villain pet, remind me to turn you once I get this chip out of my head." he said only half jokingly.   
  
Dawn quirked her lips, "You'll be dust before you even try." she said suddenly a lot like Buffy.   
  
Their conversation was interrupted by Buffy, "Dawn, no talking to evil vampires." she scolded causing Dawn to scamper off.   
  
"See, I told you I was evil." Spike called behind her.  
****************Flashback*************  
  
Ah, good days. His thoughts were interrupted by Dawn. "Oh yeah, the big scary Big Bad. I'm sorry Spike, I just think you're losing it." she said shrugging and going to sit on the couch that was covered in dust. She coughed slightly as she breathed in the dust. Spike sat down next to her slightly pouting at his non-scariness.   
  
He looked at her his eyes narrowing, "Your lucky I have this bloody chip or I would rip out..." he started.   
  
"Rip out my intestines and use them to choke me to death." Dawn finished for him looking at him with a smug look on her face.   
  
Spike raised an eyebrow, "I was going for lungs but that's very creative pet, I always knew you were a smidge more evil than me." he said with a devilish smile.   
  
Dawn's eyes widened and then proceeded to hit him with a pillow which cause more dust to raise and for Dawn to go into a coughing fit, unlike Spike who didn't have to breathe and made sure Dawn knew it. "I still say we should go somewhere nicer." she said after she got done coughing.   
  
Spike sighed putting his arm around Dawn as she leaned into him, "And where do you suppose we go Lil Bit? Like I said, we are very lacking in the funds department." he said as his head rested on the top of her head breathing in her jasmine smelling shampoo. He did love the scent on her, though for the longest time he couldn't get Buffy's vanilla out of his mind. Now all his senses were filled up was the smell of jasmine and Dawn.   
  
"Well there's always Angel." Dawn said then cringed as the words left her mouth. Spike was instantly knocked out his pondering. A threatening rumble growl that came from Spike's chest alerted her that she was dancing on dangerous territory. She sighed, "Fine, we'll stay here...for right now." she added.   
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Dawn groaned as she made her way into the apartment. Spike was currently sprawled on the couch with no shirt on. His arm was thrown over his eyes and the small TV they had bought was on and on Passions. She was furious at him for no particular reason besides the fact that she hated the world. She scowled at him, deciding that since she wasn't happy she wasn't going to let him sleep peacefully.   
  
She threw her backpack, that held many heavy school books, right on his stomach. She watched in pleasure as he jumped in surprise calling out a, "Bloody hell," under the weight of the backpack. He vamped out looking for danger but only saw Dawn. His human face returned and he looked at her concerned. "Something wrong?" he asked rubbing his face losing the rest of his sleep.   
  
"What's wrong? What's wrong!? I'll tell you what's wrong. This whole fucking town is what's wrong. Why in the hell did you drag me out here in the first place. Why couldn't you bring me somewhere where absolutely no one knew me, huh!" she yelled in all one breath. Her face flushed with anger as she looked at him. Spike was becoming confused and with confusion came anger.   
  
"What the bloody hell are you talking about Bit?" he yelled.   
  
"Of course you wouldn't know, would you. After all, you're just Uncle William taking care of his crazy niece Dawn!" and with those confusing words she went into their one bedroom slamming the door.   
  
Spike frowned in confusion, when they had registered Dawn in school they had to put Spike to be Dawn's uncle so not many questions would be asked. Spike didn't know why he had to be an uncle. Uncles were fat and ugly and liked to play 'Pull My Finger' jokes. Spike was more like a devilishly handsome cousin. Yeah, that was it. Spike went to the door pounding on it. Dawn didn't answer. "Don't make break down the bleedin door Bit, open it." he ground out trying to control his temper. He didn't understand teenagers. All the mood swings and temper tantrums were confusing.   
  
A slight click and the door open to a fuming Dawn. "What?" she asked irritated. Spike grabbed her gently by the shoulders pushing her on the bed. He kneeled in front of her.   
"What happened?" he asked in a calm voice. Dawn frowned looking down, her eyes were a bit red from crying.   
  
"Today was my first day, you know." she said. Spike groaned internally, this was school stuff. He was no good at that, he hoped he would be able to fix what was wrong. "And I guess some of the teachers remembered that my sister burnt down the gym. So they were like totally eyeing me the whole day. And then one of the kids in my class, his brother used to go to school with Buffy. His brother is a TA and he told the kid about her burning down the gym and now everyone thinks I'm a freak just like in my old school." Dawn sighed dramatically like it was the end of the world.   
  
Spike sighed in relief, "That's it?" he asked.   
  
Dawn's eyes flashed on him with anger hitting him upside his head, "Well I don't know how it is in England but in America being a freak is not a good thing." she said glaring at him. Spike sighed wrapping his Bit in his arms. Wait...when did he start considering Dawn *his*? Spike didn't want to think about that now.   
  
He stroked her hair, "It doesn't matter what they think. It'll all blow over in a bit, because *Buffy* did those things, you didn't. And if they don't stop then I'll rip their hearts out." he said. He could feel break a smile in his chest.   
  
"Thanks but I don't think that will be necessary." she said. He pulled away from her looking her in the face, "So we're alright now. No more hitting the Big Bad with heavy back packs?" he said rubbing his stomach in memory.   
  
Dawn smirked throwing her arms around him. "We're good now." she said hugging him for a brief moment then abruptly pulled away. "I'm hungry. Take me out to eat." she whined. Spike groaned, teenagers and their bloody mood swings.  
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A/N: I know this chapter really didn't deal with anything. I just thought it would be something nice to write it. They *will* be meeting Angel in the next chapter though. Keep up with the reviews, I love them. 


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